Unhinged
by ThatHippieChick
Summary: Clary, 16, has always been a little off. What will happen when she is taken from her mother and put in a Mental Institute to help cure her illness? Will she make news friends or fall farther into the darkness? Can a mysterious golden guardian angel save her from her demons, or will he simply let her fall? Rated M for cursing and later smut.
1. The New Girl

**So, this is a new story that's been floating around in my head for awhile now. Hope you enjoy. (:**

I wasn't always crazy. Or, at least, that's what my mom tried to tell the doctors every time they visited our house to give me a checkup. She would tell them of better times when I was still a normal child who did normal things and who led a normal life.

I never believed her, especially since I didn't think I was crazy, but I suppose that's exactly what a crazy person would claim. I didn't understand why people were often weary around me or why I made babies cry all the time.

I actually liked babies and thought maybe one day I would have a couple of my own, but I don't think I could deal with all their screaming and tantrums. It made me want to hold my hand over their mouths until their little eyes closed, but I knew that was mean.

Apparently the doctors didn't believe her either, or I wouldn't be traveling three hours away to a psychiatric hospital. I never really liked that name. It was too technical and it just didn't roll off my tongue correctly, even if it was politically correct. I much proffered insane asylum. It had a nice ring to it and made me feel giddy inside.

"We're here ma'am." The cabby's voice drifted through a speaker. I wondered why there was a thick glass wall between us. I didn't like it. I wondered if I could shoot him in the head or if the bullet would just ricochet off and hit me or the nice man beside me.

"Come on, Miss Fray." My escort ushered me out of the car and unloaded my small green suitcase. It was a bright lime green color that made me giggle and I was so happy when mom let me borrow it. She always kept her paints in it, but she knew how much I loved it and told me I could give it to her when I got back.

The woman who was in the front seat gave me a severely judgmental frown and I frowned right back at her, sticking my tongue out for good measure. I thanked the nice Indian man for taking me here and we ascended the large staircase.

The Iris Mental Health Facility was really big and intimidating, but its pale tan walls and dark wood paneling didn't give off the vibes of a temporary home for people with a few loose screws. Then again, I suppose that was a good thing.

"What's your name?" I asked my tall black companion I had begun to think of as a friend. I didn't have a lot of those, but he seemed nice and mommy said I needed to make more friends to show people I wasn't crazy.

"Oliver." He told me with a polite smile. It didn't meet his eyes, but I couldn't ask for too much or he would be mean to me like his lady friend.

"Thank you for carrying my bag, Oliver." I thanked him with a cheery smile that I tried to make as huge as possible. I noticed his tie that had small army men dancing around and flying with pretty toucans. I didn't know ties could play movies. "I like your tie. My daddy was an army man."

This time Oliver gave me a sympathetic smile and I wrinkled my forehead in confusion. If I wasn't careful, it might melt off and start dripping in a puddle. The other patients would be sure to laugh at me if that happened, so I quickly used my fingers to smooth out the rolls and look presentable.

As I was doing so, the door swung open and a short man with crazy grey hair and crooked glasses. I chuckled to myself as I realized he must be that famous scientist we learned about at school, Einstein.

"You must be Clarissa, come on in." He spoke briefly to Oliver before taking my bag and waving them off before shutting the door.

I tried to listen to what he was telling me, since I knew it was probably important, but I kept getting distracted by my surroundings.

I was expecting long white hallways with bare walls and the strong smell of bleach and sterility. Instead, I was met with tasteful decorations of mirrors, picture frames, paintings, and flowers. It was beautiful.

I tuned in as Hodge (who I had learned was not a scientist) led me down a corridor. He opened one of the identical doors and flicked on the switch, bathing us in bright artificial lighting. There were only one twin sized bed, a dresser, a metal waste basket, and another door I assumed led to a closet. "I know it's not much-"

"I love it!" I exclaimed, jumping on top of the bed like I used to when I was younger. Hodge just simply smiled at me, but it wasn't like Oliver's, it was genuine and real. I decided I liked Hodge.

"I'll give you some time to settle in. Most of the other... guests.. are in the cafeteria. I'll send one up in a half hour to give you a tour."

"Thank you so much, Hodge Podge!" I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him tightly against me. He hugged me back awkwardly before leaving me alone. I looked around the room with a stupid grin on my face as I began to unpack.

Maybe this place wouldn't be so bad after all.

** Ta da! There it is. Sorry it was kind of uneventful, but you get to meet most of the other characters in the next chapter. I'm not sure when I'll update, but reviews always make me work faster to please my beautiful readers. (; So, please review and tell me what you think. Also, can anybody guess what other clinical illnesses the rest of the gang will have, or Clary for that matter? Sorry fir typos, it was on my iPod. Love you all!**


	2. Monsters in the Closet

** I'm baaack. So, I received some wonderful reviews that convinced me I wasn't the only one interested in a fanfiction this weird and out there, much to my relief. **

** A few people have asked me, so I'll just post it on here. My story is very similar to Crazy by KissingFire another TMI fanfic on here, but only in the basic details of the story. I did read it like 2-3 years ago (I'm bad at timing) when I first started getting on fanfiction, but it's not really the source of inspiration for my story or anything. The plot will take a completely different twist and I'll be going a bit more in depth on the mental illnesses of my characters. **

** Also, I forgot last time, but this will be my only time saying that I in no way, shape, or form own TMI or the characters. They are all the genius inventions of Cassandra Clare. I just control the plot, how they act, and the varying levels of crazy you'll be forced to endure. Enjoy the chapter!**

I don't know how long I sat patiently on my bed waiting for my tour guide to appear. It felt like hours, maybe even days, but I think my excitement was deluding my calculations. I had already neatly folded all of my clothes and organized them in my drawers. My previously boring bed was now covered in a bright purple comforter decorated with butterfly silhouettes and a simple pink pillow. My stuffed blue elephant Theodore sat proudly next to me, guarding me like he always did.

"I love you, Theo." I told him, planting a wet kiss on the top of his head. He smiled cheerily as usual, but seemed to be ignoring me a bit. I followed his eyes to where they were focused across the room and my heart skipped a beat. The closet door was still firmly closed, but I could hear a faint noise.

After a moment, I realized it was laughter. Not a child's innocent laughter, but a sort of mocking and threatening laughter. I could almost picture the menacing monster that was hidden behind it. It was probably red, the color of shed blood, with black beady eyes and gnarly yellowing teeth that it gnashed freely.

Goosebumps covered my entire body as I felt myself grow cold and a terrible knot formed in the pit of my stomache and the back of my throat. I didn't want to breathe incase he decided to come out and eat me, so I held my breath. I thought I was going to pass out, but finally a loud noise filled the room and a blood curling scream left my throat in a weak attempt to scare away the beast.

When I was finally forced to take a breath, I spotted a small boy in front of me and realized the door had simply slammed open, bouncing off the wall. I stared down at him, slightly alarmed at his timing, but convinced no monster could look this sweet.

He has thin wisps of brown hair and equally as brown eyes. He looked rather thin and lanky, almost awkward, especially with his dark clothes that were too baggy on him and oversized rounded glasses. Something about him seemed off, but I already decided that he was too adorable not to like. "Hi, I'm Max. You must be Clarissa."

I nod a confirmation of his guess and smile down at him brilliantly before giving him a big hug. "Hello, Max. It's nice to meet you. You're adorable."

"Uh, thanks. You are, too." His cheeks burned a bright red and I wonder if I embarrassed him somehow. "Do you want to meet everybody? They're all at dinner, so it should be easy to find all of my friends."

"You have friends!" I practically shouted with joy.

"Yes, don't you?" He asked, giving me a bizarre look. I got that one a lot.

"Not really. Mommy said I need to make more friends so people will like me." I told him openly, distracted by the lights reflecting off his glasses.

"Well, I like you." He admitted.

"I like you, too." I hugged him again, lifting him off the ground slightly before apologizing.

"Let's go make you some friends." Max said with a new sense of determination and I followed him out of the room, closing the door behind me and wishing Theodore a goodnight in case he was asleep when I got back.

We talked a little more as I followed him down the hall, thankful for all of the signs pointing to various destinations. I was terrible at following directions Mommy used to say.

"Clarissa is a mouthful. Can I call you Clary?" He asked politely and I thought about it for a minute. No one had ever given me a nickname, not even Jayden. The kids at school called me mean names, but I didn't think those were considered nicknames.

"That would be wonderful." I replied as we entered the cafeteria. I was taken aback by the amount of people scattered around and wondered where we would start. I felt myself grow nervous by all the curious eyes that kept staring at me and grabbed max's hand instinctively. He didn't pull away, but instead gave me an encouraging squeeze and led me to one of the far tables.

"Clary, these are my friends. Guys, this is Clary." Max motioned around the table and I tried to take everyone in.

"So, you're the new girl." One boy spoke up. He seemed pretty normal, but he was completely covered in sparkly glitter from head to toe and wore thick black eyeliner with shimmering eyeshadow and faint pink lips. He kind of reminded me of a giant disco ball. "I'm Magnus Bane."

"Hi, Magnus. You look beautiful." I told him honestly, remembering to be nice like Mommy said.

The group broke out in laughter, but I couldn't tell if they were laughing at me or not. Magnus just gave me a dazzling grin and winked. "Thanks, darling. I knew I liked you."

I stood awkwardly until a girl with curly hair and tanned skin scooted over, patting the seat beside her. "You can sit by me. I'm Mia and these are Jordan, Alec, Simon, Izzy, and Jace."

Everyone waved and Max sat down across from me. "I'm going to go get some food, are you hungry, Clary?"

"Not really. I'll wait here." My mommy had made be a huge breakfast before they took me away, since she knew it was my favorite meal, and I was still full.

A breathtakingly beautiful girl climbed across the table and sat crouched in front of me before licking my nose and rubbing her head against my cheek. "That one's Izzy. She thinks she's a cat."

"I think she likes you." Alec observed as Izzy continued to stare at me, a content look on her porcelain face. I scratched her behind the ear and smiles at her.

"So, Little Red, what are you in for? Let me guess, I bet you're a little crazy, aren't you? Maybe a little too paranoid and violent for Mommy and Daddy to handle? We could all hear you screaming a few minutes ago." Someone asked in a mean voice and I realized it was the blonde on the opposite end of the table. He was extremely gorgeous with his golden hair and tawny eyes that bore into mine, but I decided he was too mean and I didn't want him to be my friend.

"Jace, stop being an asshole! Clary, you don't have to answer him, it's okay. Jace is just jealous that the attention is off of him for three seconds." Simon defended me and I decided that I really liked him. Maybe he will be my best friend. I'll ask him later. I didn't want Jace to make fun of me again.

"The attention is always on me." Jace insisted as he rolled his eyes before stabbing his steak, his fork making an unbearable squeaky sound.

"My ears!" I screamed as I clamped my hands over them. I could feel the monsters trying to claw my fingers away and climb inside my ears where they would live forever, making high pitched noises until I finally died.

"Clary!" I recognized Max's voice and forced my eyes opened. He was crotched in front of me and somehow I had ended up on the floor in a ball. Magnus and Mia were surrounding me while the others sat either frozen or unimpressed. Maybe this was a normal occurrence here. It probably was.

I felt Izzy licking my toes and I giggled, finally able to release my ears as I felt the monsters disappear for now. Everyone kind of just looked at me, not sure what to do until Jace finally broke the silence. "Shit, she really is crazy."

"Jace, what did you do to her?" Max asked accusingly and he sighed exasperatedly.

"Why does everyone always think when something goes wrong that it's my fault?" Jace defended himself.

"Because it is your fault." Almost everyone chorused in at the same time and it made me giggle again.

"Do you think something's fun, Red?" He questioned me, a murderous look on his face.

"Yes." I told him bravely, leaning into Mia's arms.

"Oh, really?" Jace asked again and I nodded. "Do you think it will be funny when you're bleeding out on the floor, no one there to hear your screams?

"Jace!" Alec hollered this time, his piercing blue eyes daring Jace to do something. His voice was slow and demanding, making me want to hide in the corner. "That's enough. It's her first day."

"She won't always have that excuse. She has to learn her lesson one way or another, she might as well learn now." He spat out, equally as terrifying.

"Learn what?" I asked, completely confused and just wishing I could be at home in my warm bed with Theo, far away from this mess.

Before anyone could stop him, Jace stood up abruptly and stocked over to me, crouching so that we were eyelevel. "Listen up, Little Girl. We're all put here because we're bat shit crazy and society doesn't want to deal with our shit. The workers don't even want to deal with us, so do you know what that means? It means we run this place. We call the shots and we get to play God. The only one anybody cares about is themselves and they're the only thing that matters. There's a lot of mean people in here and they won't hesitate to show you just how mean they are. So you better learn to shut your damn mouth and keep your business to yourself, because if not, you're never going to last long in here."

Everyone was silent, probably waiting for my reaction, but I just stared into his striking eyes that swirled like liquid gold. I wouldn't mind drawing his eyes and I made a note to ask if there was an art room somewhere in here.

Finally I swallowed deeply and blinked slowly. "I'm not crazy."

"That's what we all said." Jace muttered as he stormed out of the room, knocking over a table kicking a chair before he disappeared through the heavy black doors.

No one moved an inch and I finally shrugged off Mia before standing up and meeting the eyes of my new friends. "I want to go back to my room."

They all nodded and Simon stood up, having already cleared his plate. "Okay. I'll walk with you."

I waited for him as he crossed the table, having a silent conversation with Magnus who simply shook his head in response to whatever Simon said. He offered me his arm and I looped mine through it with a smile already in a better mood.

"She's in room 316." Max informed him as we began to walk away. I noticed the frown that dimpled his small chin and I waved a goodbye to him specifically, calling out his name, before waving to the group.

They all wished me a good night's sleep and I couldn't help but grin to myself as I realized all the friends I gained in a matter of minutes.

"What are you smiling about?" Simon asked curiously, a grin of his own playing at his lips.

"Mommy will be so proud of all of the friends I made on my first day. I can't wait to tell her." He only nodded in reply as we stopped at my door.

I hugged him roughly and he awkwardly hugged me back, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Thank you for walking me back, Simon. I hope we become really good friends."

"Me, too." Simon agreed and waved goodbye.

I watched him leave before opening the door. I left it cracked since I had forgotten to back my nightlight and I was still afraid of the dark.

I carefully crawled into bed and kissed Theodore on his trunk. Luckily he was still asleep, so I didn't feel bad for moving him and wrapping my arms around him.

I didn't have a long time to think about my first day here, since my eyes were already drooping closed, but I did have time to smile.

Tomorrow was a new day and maybe I could make even more friends.

That night I dreamt about golden eyes watching over me.

**So, what do you guys think? Do you have any hunches on what mental illness everybody has? What do you think will happen to Clary tomorrow? Or perhaps, even tonight? And who's Jayden? Make sure to review please. Whoever does will be given a sneak peak of the next chapter. Goodbye for now, my lovelies! :D**


	3. Red is the New Black

**Hello, Lovelies. Here's the next installment. Those who reviewed got a sneak peak of the first half. Hope you enjoy! (:**

**Clary's POV**

I was abruptly awakened from my dreams by an intense burning in my lungs and a heavyweight on my chest. My eyes shot open in alarm as I realized a dark figure was sitting on top of me. I tried to pull away from them and cry out for help, but their legs were tightly secured around mine and one large hand covered my mouth while the other pinned my hands above my head.

A man's voice chuckled darkly in my ear, his warm breath washing over me and causing goose bumps to rise on my chilled skin. He relinquished his grip on my hands quickly as he flicked on the lamp, only to immediately restrain me once again.

Now that I could see where my captor was, I proceeded to kick at him wildly in hopes of scaring him away. Panic and fear overrode my common sense and I could feel myself beginning to black out.

"Clary!" The voice hollered deeply, forcing me to look directly at him. I immediately recognized the shinning golden eyes staring down at me intensely. I blinked in surprise, having expected it to be one of the monsters from my nightmares. His hand moved down a fraction of an inch, allowing me to breathe through my nose.

Jace stared down at me calmly, unfazed by my actions until my breathing had finally returned to normal and I stopped fighting him. My heart was still racing with adrenaline, but for some unexplainable reason I knew his intentions weren't to kill me.

"Good girl. Now, can I remove my hand without you screaming your head off?" I nodded obediently as he removed both of his hands and wiped them on his jeans. He was still seated above me, but now most of his weight had shifted to his elbows and knees as he leaned forward.

Our faces were inches apart from each other and I was completely terrified that maybe I wasn't as good at reading people as I had thought. We remained like that for awhile until he finally broke the silence. "Did I not tell you that this hellhole is full of crazy people?"

"You did." I whispered.

"Then why the fuck are you sleeping with your door wide open?" I started to cringe at his filthy words, but thought better of it and only looked at him confused and embarrassed.

"I forgot my nightlight at home." I mumbled, my cheeks flaming red in embarrassment and I felt like I was about to cry. Mommy told me that if the kids at school found out I still slept with a nightlight, they might make fun of me. That's why I was sure that Jace, who was easily ten times as scary as any school bully, was going to laugh in my face and taunt me relentlessly.

Jace was quiet for a long time and I watched in amazement as his beautiful features contorted into different emotions. I really wanted to touch his hair and to hug him, but I don't think he will let me. Finally his lips parted, but his voice came out softer than I had ever heard it. "You're afraid of the dark?"

"I'm afraid of what's in it." I whispered, my eyes brimming with tears. I tried to blink them away but only caused one to spill down my cheek. I felt the pad of Jace's thumb slowly reach up and swipe it away, slightly grazing the corner of my lips.

I gave him a small smile in return and all he did was look down at me. I suddenly felt overjoyed by happiness that someone was my friend and I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him on top of me. I buried my head in his chest and breathed in heavily, causing Jace to grow stiff beneath me. His shirt smelled really good and I had one more chance to take another long whiff before he was shoving me away and standing beside me.

"What the hell?" He asked, his face crimson red as he backed away.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, equally as red for a completely different reason.

"Damn right you better be sorry. What was that?" He spat out as he paced the length of the bed.

"It's called a hug." I defended myself, trying to glare at him through my blurry eyes.

"I know that," he rolled his eyes in frustration. "Why did you do it?"

"I thought we were friends. Friends give each other hugs." I sat up, my blanket falling down around me, making me realize how cold my room was.

"I'm not your friend." He told me with a stubbornly hard jaw line.

"I realize that now. Can you just leave?" I mentally swatted myself for letting my voice shake. I don't know why he bothered me so much, when I already knew he wasn't a nice person. I threw myself onto the bed dramatically, hiding my face from him.

"Gladly!" He shouted and stormed over to the door before throwing it wide open. "You can leave it open and get killed for all I care!"

I watched him leave guiltily before getting up and slowly padding across the room to shut the door, leaving the light on. I looked up at the clock and realized it was almost three in the morning.

Why was Jace even awake right now?

I felt remotely bad for yelling at him, but Theo assured me that I wasn't in the wrong here. Jace had snuck in my room and tried to scare me anyway. I spent the next hour trying to block out images from today as I finally fell asleep.

**Clary's POV**

"Meow." I opened my eyes and was immediately met with innocent dark ones. I blinked a few times until I realized Izzy was sitting on top of me, rather than an actual kitty.

She was sitting on top of my ribcage, curled up in a ball with her limbs tucked in as she purred lightly. She continued to look down at me with curious wide eyes and I giggled back a reply. "Meow."

Izzy purred louder at this and rubbed her face against my neck, nibbling lightly at the surrounding skin. I shot up out of bed, knocking her into my lap. "Izzy, stop it! That tickles."

I barely had time to breath before she had hopped off my mattress and strode over to my dresser on all fours, planting herself in front of it patiently and looking at me with demanding eyes. "Do you want me to get ready?"

"Meow," was her only reply before she began to lick her hand to clean the back of her head.

I walked over to her, scratching her behind the ear kindly, before grabbing a sea green cotton t-shirt and faded blue jean shorts. "Alright, give me a minute."

When I had finished changing and ran a comb through my hair, I looked down at Izzy with a curious expression. "How did you get in here last night?"

I specifically remembered slamming my door shut, similar to how it was now, but I hadn't remembered Izzy ever being in here. Maybe she can walk through walls.

"Meow." Izzy repeated, pawing at the door until I opened it. She slipped out quickly and I followed after her, afraid of being all alone on my second day.

I made sure to stay a few strides back so that I could study her. I liked watching Izzy scamper around, because even though I knew she wasn't really a cat, her body was so graceful and elegant when she walked. I wish I could find a dirty lamp and ask a genie to turn her into a real cat, maybe a big sleek panther, to make her happy. Yes. Izzy was definitely a strong, agile panther prowling around the facility.

"Clary!" Max called, shouting loudly over the rest of the crowd. I realized Izzy had guided me to the cafeteria for breakfast, but now that I was here I wish she hadn't. I didn't want people to stare at me again.

People were always staring at me, but I didn't really know why. Mommy used to swear that they weren't but I could feel their gazes. I could hear their whispered conversations about the strange girl. It made me want to hide under my blanket and cry, but mommy said I can't get out of here if I let them scare me.

Jace scares me. He's sitting at our table, next to the only open spot and I try to fold in on myself. But then I remember what mommy says, and I stick my chin up, striving towards the table at a much faster speed. I wasn't going to let anybody scare me off, especially some jerk face like Jace.

"Hi, Maxi." I sat down between the two boys, much closer to max than Jace. I might not be afraid of him anymore, but that didn't mean I was overly fond of him either.

Izzy climbed up Alec's back before perching herself around his neck. It looked awfully uncomfortable, but he didn't seem to mind.

"How was your first night here? Did you sleep well?" Jordan asked politely, bumping Mia who was picking at her small plate in distaste.

I felt Jace's eyes on me and my cheeks immediately flushed, but I ignored him as I smiled back. "It was wonderful, thank you."

"Aren't you going to eat breakfast?" Simon asked, concern evident on his face.

"I'm still not very hungry. I'm sure I'll eat lunch later." I reassured him, not wanting to make him feel sad.

When everyone had finished, they all got up and went their separate ways. I sat their awkwardly, not sure where to go. Max seemed to realize this and smiled up at me. "Do you want to go to the rec room with me? If we're lucky, the TV might be open to watch cartoons."

"Sure! I love cartoons." I got up quickly and trailed after the small boy, making sure to stay close while still taking in my surroundings.

This hallway only had a few decorative paintings. Instead, there were chunky picture frames lining the walls every few feet. They were filled with several of the other patients doing different activities over the years.

One had everybody sitting in a circle and holding hands as a much younger Hodge spoke, but I noticed a few of the people refused to touch the others. Jace, of course, was one of them.

Another featured them outside with huge smiles and laughter as Alec hit a beach ball over a net to a small girl I hadn't met. This looked more recent than the others.

The final one I had noticed before Max led me through a doorway had every patient, excluding me of course, out in front of the main building. Hodge and an elderly lady stood in the middle holding a sign that read "The Iris Psychiatric Center 2013". There were even a few staff members, but I realized there were much fewer than I imagined an insane Asylum having.

"What do you want to do?" Max asked me with eyes full of excitement.

"Whatever you want to do." I replied sweetly, not really caring what we did as long as he'd be my friend.

"How about we watch Pokémon and play a round of Apple to Apples?" he suggested as he flicked on the large black screen and grabbed a box from inside of a cabinet off to the side. "We can invite the others to play if you want."

"I don't really know what Apples to Apples is." I told him with a faint blush, but I rushed out the last part. "But I would love for you to show me."

In the end, we gathered up a few stragglers and this girl Molly, her friends Mary and Jane, Alec, Simon, Jordan, and Magnus joined us. Izzy chose to stretch out beside us and dose off for awhile, but occasionally she would stand in the middle of the circle until one of us surrendered our laps for her to stretch out on as we scratched her belly.

Jace was also there, but he refused to play for the longest time. Finally after Simon had managed to win his fifth green card by choosing Anne Frank for the card touchy-feely, Alec looked at his companion. "Why don't you play the last few rounds for me?"

I had quickly learned that, though Jace was extremely good looking, he hadn't made a lot of friends at the center due to his over usage of sarcasm and narcissistic habits. That didn't keep people from treating him kindly, especially since he was probably the most intimidating person here. I also learned that Alec was his best and only true friend.

"I'd rather not." Jace mumbled from his respective spot on the couch. He acted like he was watching the screen, but I knew he had his eyes on me nearly the entire game.

"Come on. I've got to go to the bathroom." Alec urged, pouting a lip dramatically and batting his eyelashes.

"Fine, but don't expect me to win." Jace mumbled and took his place across the circle as Alec left. It was Jane's turn to judge as she chose the word sexy. I blushed at even the mention of such a dirty word. Mommy wouldn't be happy if she knew I was playing this game, but she wasn't here. Besides, I was making friends.

By the time everyone had thrown in a card, I had nearly forgotten what my choice was until she read the Backstreet Boys out loud and I giggled. Magnus winked at me and I tried to wink back, but I just ended up squinting awkwardly.

"Oh, I don't know. Backstreet boys and Red Riding Hood are probably my favorite." Jane drew out her words. Finally she smiled. "Red Riding Hood."

Everyone joined in at her choice and Jace quietly slid the card into his pile. I wasn't the only one who noticed as Jordan raised a crooked eyebrow at him. "Really, Jace, Red Riding Hood?"

"What can I say," Jace smirked over at me as our eyes locked, "I have a thing for red heads."

** Oh, Jace, you. What does everyone thing? Sorry that it's still kind of short, but I have hardly any free time lately. Expect an update sometimes this weekend. Remember, review = sneak peeks and secret information. I hope you all have a wonderful night/day/afternoon.**


	4. To Love is to Destroy

**Hello, my beautiful readers. I had a very hectic weekend, but here is another chapter as promised. I hope you enjoy!**

"Clary are you listening?" Simon asked me worriedly. After a few rounds of Apples to Apples along with several other strange board games, everyone had agreed it was time for a much needed break. It was just past noon and most people were eating, but I had talked Simon into showing me to the art room.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a bit distracted today." I apologized honestly.

"What's on your mind?" Jace immediately popped into my head. I couldn't get him out of my head for some reason. It is super annoying. Almost as annoying as he can be.

He could also be really sweet, but I had only gotten a brief glance at his softer side. I bet something makes him be mean to other people and act like a bad friend. I silently made the decision to try to help him later.

"Is it your mom? You talk about her a lot." Simon prompted me, making me realize I had just been standing there and I wondered for how long.

"Uh, yes. I miss Mommy and Uncle Luke and Jayden and even all of the kids at school. Change scares me." I whispered as Simon led me into a large room.

"You can always write to them. Hodge sends out mail every Monday and Thursday." He motioned around us dramatically and I giggled at his theatrics. "This, my dearest friend, is the art room. They have all the supplies in the world you could imagine on a reasonable budget cut."

I stood in complete awe at all of the many cabinets and drawers neatly labeled with their contents. There was a light board, a cutting board, several different sizes of canvas and their accommodating easels, and several tables. The best part wasn't the supplies, but rather the room its self. The once white walls were almost completely covered in paintings and sketches.

The ceiling was even painted, however they managed that. It featured everything from people like KISS, Johnny Depp, Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, and Bob Marley on retro slides of a film strip.

Random murals of famous art pieces like Starry Night and the Mona Lisa were also scarred around the room, separated by abstract work and different nature sceneries.

"Clary, are you alright?" I blinked, finally tearing my eyes off of the magnificence and I realized tears had begun to spill down my cheeks. I wiped them away and smiled at him.

"This place is so beautiful." I threw my arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. "Thank you so much for showing me this place, Si."

"Si?" He questioned with a small smile as I pulled away.

"It's my nickname for you." I told him shyly, afraid he would be mad.

He seemed to contemplate it for awhile. "I like it."

"I'm glad you do." I beamed up at him before turning and walking to the cabinets. Wondering where I wanted to start.

"Alright, well you enjoy yourself. I'm going to go eat so I don't waste away. See you around."

"Bye." I waved backwards, already lost in my work. I had decided to start with a few simple prisma colored pencil sketches to get me in the mood.

In the end, I had produced one of Uncle Luke wrapping his arms around Mommy's as she tried to escape from his grasp. His dark eyes were focused on her as she threw her head back in laughter and rested it on his chest. It was so vivid I almost felt like I was home again.

The next one was of the old oak tree at the park. It was covered in burning red and blinding yellow leaves. A small boy with a crooked grin popped out from the top of it, one of his front teeth missing. His clothes were completely covered in grass stains and dirt caked his light blonde hair.

The final one had a small calico kitten in it. I always wanted a kitty, but mommy always said no that it was too dangerous. Cats are dangerous though. Calicos are my favorite type of cat. This was only a few weeks old; old enough to open its bright blue eyes. It was gathered in my hands and purring against my palm, its head tilted sideways in an innocently curious manner.

I smiled down at my work before moving to pick up an empty canvas. I hadn't painted in so long that I was afraid I would mess up, but I tried to remember Mommy's voice telling me to relax and let my hands do the work.

I closed my eyes, wondering what to paint until it finally hit me like a brick wall. My hands moved quickly, trying to capture every last detail perfectly. When I finally felt satisfied with my job, I stepped back and looked it over from a distance.

The pair of eyes stared back at me, appearing to stare into my soul, to see who I really was beneath all of my problems. The irises appeared to swirl like actual liquid gold with small flecks of light brown. I realized they were Jace's eyes and a harsh blush colored my cheeks.

I had to turn away; convinced that somehow he could see me. I decided I was done for today and gathered my drawings, leaving the painting to dry until later.

I looked down the hallways, trying to remember where my room was. I stumbled around absent mindedly until I finally found 316. They should really lay out colored dots that led to different places on the floor. I would definitely use those. Maybe I'll ask Hodge Podge later.

I opened my door and looked for tape in the side table drawer. I grinned successfully as I found it and climbed on top of the bed to tape them on the walls. When I was finished I proudly studied each of them. Now every time that I missed home, I could look at those and it would help a little bit.

I looked down at my hands and realized there was dried paint all over them. I could hear Uncle Luke mentally scolding me for being so messy, but I just reached up and popped his air bubble. I made sure to shut my door as I left in hopes of finding a bathroom nearby.

After opening a few wrong doors and aggravating several people, I found the bathroom. It was larger than I expected but realized there must be one on each floor. This one had four bath tubs, six showers, four sinks, and eight stalls. The walls were decorated in pretty faux marble designs and the floor had safety mats spread periodically around the room.

I skipped over to the sinks and smiled at myself in the mirror. Our house only had two mirrors, but this place seemed to have a ton and it made me not feel so alone. I took my time scrubbing between each of my fingers and underneath my nail beds. Mommy always said she knew me like the back of her hands, but I never understood her. I wouldn't know the back of my hands from the back of anyone else's.

Maybe that's why she sent me away. I looked down at them for awhile, the water still running, and tired to memorize every last line and pale vein. Maybe if I could recognize the back of my hands, then she would let me g back home.

I jumped as I heard a terrible retching noise and I realized someone was puking in a stall. I dried my hands quickly as it continued and timidly walked over to knock on the stall. "Are you okay?"

There was a long pause before I heard the toilet flush and the door opened, revealing Mia. She glared at me as she pushed by wiping her mouth with her elbow. "Oh, it's only you."

"Why were you puking? Are you sick?" I asked her I alarmed; terrified she was going to die.

"Sick of you." She remarked as she washed her hands with soap and gargled water from the faucet.

"Did I do something to make you hate me?" I questioned as I awkwardly scratched my arm. "If so, I am really sorry. I didn't mean to."

"What haven't you done? You stole all of my friends and now you're trying to take Jordan." She accused furiously, wiping her hand son her pants.

"I'm not trying to steal anyone! And I don't even like Jordan. Not like that." I insisted.

"What so he's not good enough for you? Do you think you're better than everyone else just because you're skinny and pretty and perfect?" She pressed a long painted finger into my chest and I pushed it away gently.

"I don't think that. I'm not perfect at all and you are super pretty Mia." I tried to convince her as I felt tears sting my eyes, but I blinked them away, afraid they would only antagonize her more.

"Don't mock me!" Mia spat as she reeled back and slapped me hard.

My hand immediately shot up to cup my burning cheek as the other reached out to defend myself. "Mia, I'm sorry! I'm not mocking you, I swear. Please leave me alone."

"You would like that wouldn't you?" She gripped my arm tightly and shoved me into the wall. I felt myself slip on the running water that had spilled over the edge of the sink and I bounced my head off of the ground roughly, flopping like a rag doll.

I felt nails rake my face and she shouted again. "Answer me!"

"Mia! What the fuck have you done?" Someone shouted, but I couldn't tell who it was. I felt like the room was spinning, even thought I was lying still on the floor. My head was bounding fiercely and the back of my eyes hurt severely. The last thing I remember seeing were those golden eyes watching over me.

**Alec's POV**

We were all walking back to the rec room when there was a load noise and Jace froze before darting into the girl's bathroom.

"Jace, what is it?" We all exchanged a look before running in after him.

I stopped in my tracks as I took in the scene scattered before us. Mia was leaning against a stall for support. Her hair slightly ruffled and her lips formed a perfect pout as they trembled. A puddle of flowing water covered over half the tiles. Magnus seemed to notice this as well and shut off the faucet as Jordan ran to Mia's side. "I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean to actually hurt her. I just wanted to scare her, I swear."

It was then that I spotted Jace crouched by the corner on the floor. He hovered over someone, but I couldn't tell who until he had picked her up, causing bright red hair to spill over his arms. The deadly look in his eyes frightened even me as he spun around quickly. "Go away."

"I want to help!" She pleaded, reaching out weakly to help with watery eyes.

"Don't you think you've done enough, already?" Jace barked, shoving past everyone to the entrance.

"Please, let me help!" Mia tried again, grabbing Jace's jacket in an attempt to slow him down. I exchanged a look with Magnus. You would think after all these years, she would know not to touch him.

Jace whipped around, smacking away her hand and raising his own threateningly. "Jordan, if you don't get your pet out of my damn sight, then I am going to burn her alive and watch with utter satisfaction as her face melts off."

"Come on, Mia." Jordan pulled her out of the room by her wrist, jerking harsher as she remained stubbornly, and down the opposite hall.

Before we parted Mia latched on to my hand. I turned to her with pity as she blinked away tears. "I really am sorry."

"I know." I told her softly. She finally allowed Jordan to lead her away as she cried into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her knees and scooped her up before petting her hair. I watched them leave for a moment, wishing we all weren't so fucked up.

Finally I strode down the halls until I found her room, the door thrown open. Clary was sprawled on her bed with Magnus kneeling beside her.

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Jace was pacing the foot of the bed, his hair perfectly disheveled from continuously running his fingers through it.

His obvious concern shocked me even more than his previous outburst with Mia. It was completely out of character. I could tell his patience was running thin. I cleared my throat, shutting the door for more privacy. "Well?"

"The cuts aren't deep, they shouldn't scar, and there's minor bruising. She should get off with just a migraine." Both of Magnus' parents were doctors and he had learned a lot from them, especially his father, or at least until he was kicked out.

Clary looked even more innocent than usual with her face completely smoothed out. If it weren't for the blood Magnus was wiping away, you would think she was just sleeping. "We should go to Hodge about this."

"We can't. What if Mia is punished?" Magnus pointed out, applying the last of some ointment to her cheek.

"The bitch deserves it." Jace growled, finally standing still for more than two seconds.

"It's not her fault and you know it, Jace." Magnus gritted threw his teeth.

"It's not hers, either." Jace bellowed, pointing to where Clary remained motionless.

"Look, if she is anything other than her normal quirky self when she wakes up, then I'll personally tell Hodge everything. Alright?" I broke in, taking Magnus' hand in mine to cool him down.

"Fine." They sighed in unison. The room went eerily silent until Magnus opened the door.

"I have to go check on Mia. She's probably a nervous wreck." He kissed my cheek quickly and left without another word.

And then there were two. I followed Jace with my eyes as he sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.

"You care about her, don't you?" I knew the odds weren't in my favor tonight, but maybe he would open up for once.

"What makes you say that?" He asked without moving.

This was a game, I knew it. I just wondered how far I would get. I chose the more joking, sarcastic route. "You haven't threatened to melt someone's face off in ages."

"Are you accusing me of turning soft?" Jace smirked, finally looking up at me in mock offense. So far, so good.

"I just- it's okay to love someone." I knew my transparency was a huge risk, but I took it anyway.

"I'm not in love with her, Alec. Don't think so lowly of me." Jace defended himself, immediately jumping off of the bed and stalking to the dresser.

"I never said you were." I pointed out, trying to hide a smile.

"To love is to destroy." Jace's strong back was facing towards me, but the raw emotion in his voice was enough to make me withdrawal.

"And to be loved is to be the one destroyed. I know, just think about it." I finished his sentence for him, having well memorized it over the years.

I got up, leaving him alone to think about what I had said. Muttering an excuse about going to help Magnus, I slipped out after one last glance at Clary.

Funny how such a small girl could cause such a large chain of reactions in a matter of days.

**And scene. What does everyone think? I know that was a lot to happen in one chapter, but I was super bored. I'm winging this story instead of planning it out like usual, so I hope it goes over well. Please review with your thoughts. It's much obliged. Reviewers, as usual, get a sneak peak of the chapter and occasionally extra top secret information if I'm in a good mood. Have a wonderful day!**


	5. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

**I'm receiving a lot of positive feedback about the last chapter and I am so happy. Is there anyone else's POV you guys would like to see a future chapter in? I know you guys are going to LOVE this chapter, so I won't keep you long. Enjoy!**

**Clary's POV**

I felt like I had been run over by a freight train when I finally woke up. My head throbbed immensely and my throat felt like it was filled with sand and polished by a razor. "Ow."

"Clary, are you okay?" I almost screamed by the voice in my ear, but I easily recognized its owner.

"Jace? What are you doing in here?" I could only see half of his face in the dimly lit room. I realized we were both lying on my bed and a nightlight was sticking out of the closest wall.

"I asked first." He argued, sitting up on his elbow.

"My head hurts and I feel like death." I groaned, rolling onto my side and snuggling into the pillow. "What happened to me?"

"Don't you remember? Mia attacked you." Flashes of us standing in the bathroom crossed my vision. I felt the crown of my head lightly and winced at the immediate pain.

"Is she okay?" I questioned, remembering her crying as he pulled me out of the room.

"Why do you care?" Jace asked me, clearly taken aback by my inquiring.

"She's my friend." I defended her, sitting up as the blanket fell around me.

"She nearly killed you." Jace growled, running a hand through his hair.

"She was just upset. I'll go talk to her later and clear everything up." I assured him with a simple dismissive wave of my cold hands.

"You hurt my head." He sighed dramatically, throwing himself back onto the bed.

"What do you mean? And shouldn't I be the one complaining about my head?" I asked honestly confused. He threw an arm over his face and chuckled at me. I curled onto my side and rested my head on his other arm, craning my neck to look at him.

"You're just too… trusting and forgiving." He finally replied, smiling under his elbow.

"What's wrong with trusting people?" I frowned, my nose crinkling in dissatisfaction.

"Everything. Not everyone has your best interest at heart, Little Red." He removed his hand from his face, revealing a sad smile that made me want to hug him and make him feel better, but I didn't.

"And not everyone is out to hurt me." I reassured him, settling for placing my hand beside me on his upper arm. I felt his muscles moving beneath me and it made me want to giggle, but I held it in.

"How do you know which is which?" He inquired thoughtfully. I liked the way his eyebrows furrowed together when he didn't understand something.

"I don't." I shrugged, grazing my fingers across his collarbone, feeling the protruding bone beneath his shirt. "I just try to me nice, so they won't want to hurt me."

"Sometimes being nice isn't enough. Sometimes people just want to hurt you for the sake of hurting you." He froze beneath my touch and I thought he was going to pull my hand away, but instead his own fingers rubbed soothing circles on my side. It tickled at first, but for some reason I didn't want him to stop.

"Like you?" I whispered.

His fingers immediately stilled and he pulled back, looking me in the face. I'm sure my cheeks were bright red, a combination of embarrassment and something else. Jace's voice was surprised and rather loud as he opened his mouth. "When have I hurt you?"

I pulled away a bit in alarm and rolled onto my other side, preferring not to look at him at the moment. "When I first got here. You told me I was crazy and said you would make me bleed and you snuck into my room."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you. I was trying to protect you." Jace loosely gripped my hips, rolling me over to face him once again.

"Well you have a funny way of doing it." I laughed, smiling up at him. His hair looked really soft and I couldn't help but reach out and tug on it lightly.

As I pulled on it more, he bit his bottom lip for a minute before running his thumb across my lips. "Red?"

"Yes?" I answered him eagerly, despite the fact that he couldn't even say my real name.

"Do you trust me?" His voice was so low and husky that I almost thought I had imagined the words at first.

"Yes." I confessed without the slightest bit of hesitation.

"Are you sure?" He rolled on top of me, making me squeak in surprise. Most of his weight was on his elbows as he leaned forward and I nodded, suddenly unable to form coherent words.

His mouth soothingly grazed my neck, where he teasingly nuzzled the sensitive skin. I wanted to tell him to stop, but instead I found myself tilting my head back to give him easier access. My fingers wound into his hair on their own accord and my legs entangled themselves around his own. A burning hot palm slipped under my shirt and pressed into my hip before he looked at me.

I felt like we were staring at each other for an eternity before he shook his head and rocked back onto his knees. "You shouldn't."

I laid their feeling rejected for some reason and completely alone. I knew I didn't want to know why, so I asked him something else instead. "Jace, why were you laying in my bed?"

"Someone had to make sure you didn't die in your sleep." He cracked a smile as he flopped onto his back beside me.

"But why in my bed?" I rephrased it, hoping he would answer me truthfully.

"I wasn't going to sit on the floor. I never claimed to be a gentleman." Clearly he wasn't. I pouted my lip and reached to grab Theodore so we could ignore Jace together when cold fear washed over me.

"Where's Theodore?" I shot up and began throwing the blanket around desperately.

"Who's Theodore?" I could hear Jace's voice, but it was like we were miles apart.

"My elephant." I shouted, throwing everything onto the floor in hopes of finding my furry friend. I was about to give up when I heard high pitched cackling from the closet. "Theo!"

"Clary, what are you doing?" He tried to place his hands on my shoulders but I shook him off and curled myself into a ball against the corner of the wall.

"They took him!" I cried. The laughing grew louder as shadows of small monsters danced across my walls. I bawled into my sleeve and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Who?" Jace tried again, growing more exasperated with each passing second.

"The monsters. They have Theodore." I muttered over and over again, beginning to rock myself back and forth. If I wasn't quiet, they would take me, too. The bed creaked beside me and I whimpered, afraid that Jace was gone as well.

"Is this him?" I felt Jace force my chin up and I risked a glance, spotting a ball of blue matted fur in his hand.

My arms shot out to grab him as I hugged him against me so tight it hurt to breathe. "Theo, don't you ever scare me like that again. Do you understand?"

I was so happy to have my friend back that I forgot I wasn't alone until someone cleared their voice. "I think I should go."

"Okay." I looked up at him, smiling sweetly to show him I was okay. He got up to leave, but I caught him by the wrist. "Jace?"

"Yeah?"He asked; hope shining in his tawny eyes.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down to my height. "Thank you for taking care of me and saving Theodore."

"Anytime." He laughed in my ear and enveloped my waist in his strong arms. We stayed like that for a long time and I wished I could have felt that peaceful and warm forever. "Goodnight, Little Red."

"Goodnight, Jace." I beamed at him as he covered me with the blanket I had thrown on the floor. I heard a faint meow as Izzy snuck in before he could close the door.

"Oh, Jace!" I exclaimed afraid he'd leave before I could say anything. He paused mid stride, halfway through the door. "Thanks for the night light."

He only smirked at me before finally leaving. Izzy jumped on top of the bed and meowed at me again.

"Hi, Izzy. Did you miss me?" She wormed her way under the covers and stretched out on top of my legs.

"I missed you, too."

**Clary's POV**

The next morning I lounged around with Izzy for awhile, enjoying her cuddly company for awhile. Finally I insisted that we go grab some breakfast.

The entire way over my stomach growled viciously like a cruel abused dog that wanted to eat me. I imagined there was a long rusted leash hooked to a spiked red collar and his teeth were gnashing restlessly.

Our table was empty, save a clueless Simon who was lost in some book. I grabbed a hot plate of pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs along with some freshly squeezed orange juice before taking a seat across from him. "Good morning, Si."

"Clary!" He practically shouted, nearly jumping out of his seat. "You scared me."

"Sorry." I apologized in fear that he wouldn't be my friend anymore.

"It's okay, Clare Bear." He reassured me, tucking his comic book one arm.

"Is that your nickname for me?" I jumped around happily, abuzz with a new outlook on the day. I couldn't wait to tell Mommy and Luke.

"Yes, if you like it, I mean. I figured since you gave me one-," Simon's words died off midsentence as I threw my arms around him and squeezed him until my ribs hurt. It didn't feel the same as when I hugged Jace, but Simon's embrace was still warm and welcoming.

"Three nicknames in two days. Who would have thought I would be so lucky here?" I gave him a toothy grin as Izzy climbed up onto his lap and licked the stubble on his chin.

He laughed, whether it was at Izzy or me I'm not sure, before scratching the back of her ear and cocking a look at me. "Who else gave you nicknames?"

"My real name is Clarissa, but Max decided everyone should call me Clary for short. Jace calls me Little Red a lot, but he didn't ask me if he could." I told him matter of factly as I counted on my fingers.

"Not that I don't love being the topic of choice, but you really shouldn't talk about people when they aren't around." Jace squeezed my hips quickly, making me jump a little, before sitting sideways next to me.

"We were just talking about how much of a narcissistic asshole you can be and pondered how your head can even fit through the door." Simon shot back quickly and I tried to picture Jace as a giant bobble head trying to pass under the doorway. I laughed to myself, but Simon shot me a quirky smile, probably thinking the same thing.

"That couldn't be true. Red would never say something bad about me, would you?" Jace's crooked grin widened as his intense stare landed on me. I felt my cheeks redden awkwardly before I opened my mouth, unsure of what I should even say. I wasn't good at talking to people.

Luckily, the rest of the gang chose that minute to show up. They quickly filled the remaining spots and I noticed sit on my other side purposely. I subconsciously felt myself leaning towards Jace nervously and he pressed his legs into mine.

She turned towards me suddenly and smiled at me weakly. The dark circle sunder her eyes were extremely visible and I noticed she didn't look at put together as usual. She looked nervous as she took a deep breath before speaking quickly. "Listen Clary, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I was having a really bad day and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I know you would never intentionally hurt me or try to take my friends and Jordan away. If you don't mind, I would really like to be your friend again."

I could feel Jace stiffening beside me and I placed my hand on his knee without even thinking and squeezed it reassuringly. Everyone waited silently for me to reply and I noticed Alec smiling at Jace. "Mia, I know you didn't mean to do anything and I never stopped being your friend. Of course I forgive you."

She enveloped me in a celebration hug momentarily before returning to her usual more chipper self. As I turned back to face the front, I noticed Jace was now sitting farther away from me and refused to look in my direction. He really confused me sometimes.

"So, how was everyone's night?" Magnus interjected and the table returned to its normal chatter. I contributed to the conversations occasionally, but for the most part I thought about home.

Did Mommy make everyone breakfast? Was it my favorite, fresh blueberry waffles drowned in maple syrup, strawberry cinnamon oatmeal, jelly toast, and cheesy scrambled eggs? Or did she decide not to make them until I stop being sick?

Did the kids at school say mean things to some other new kid or did they just start getting along? Did Jayden find someone else to chase at the park? Did my art teacher miss my work already?

"You need to eat something." Jace bumped my shoulder and whispered low enough that no one else noticed. They were too caught up in discussing what they would do after breakfast was over.

I stared down at my plate, only able to see how the eggs weren't as whipped as mommy's and the orange juice wasn't pulp free like Luke's. "I'm not hungry."

"You haven't eaten since you got here." He argued, a deep frown dimpling his chiseled chin. I just shook my head and he sighed in annoyance. "Please, for me?"

I glowered at him before finally stabbing my pancake and shoving it in my mouth. He just grinned at me victoriously and I glared at him. "You're lucky you're cute."

"Shut up and eat your pancakes." He told me before turning to face Alec.

The food tasted better than I had thought it would and I devoured it all in a matter of minutes. When I was done everyone agreed to go outside and play kickball. I told everyone I had to run back to my room and change my outfit into something sportier and brush my teeth.

On my way back from the bathroom, I heard someone down the hall call my name and I turned to see a tall boy standing in my doorway. He had ebony hair and eerily identical eyes that looked like endless black holes. His smile was friendly but serious and I felt like I could fall into his stare and never be seen again. "Hodge would like to see you."  
**And that's a wrap. What do you guys think? Why is Jace acting so weird? Would you have forgiven Mia? Should Clary trust Jace? Will Izzy every speak? Who is the stranger at Clary's door and what does Hodge want? Make sure to review me your answers or what you think should happen next. I might just add it in. ALSO, THERE IS A BLESSTHEFALL BAND REFERENCE IN HERE. Whoever finds it, if anyone even knows what I'm talking about, will get the next chapter dedicated to them. Bless you all!**


	6. New Found Temptations

**Hey, wonderful very patient and beautiful viewers. So, I've been really busy and I apologize for the late update, but nonetheless, it is here. Oh yeah, this chapter is dedicated to **_**ClaryElena**_** who was the only reviewer that correctly guessed my **_**Blessthefall**_** reference, which was "Shut up and eat your pancakes." To everyone that didn't get it, I highly suggest that you watch the music video for **_**Hey Baby, Here's That Song You Wanted**_** song insert name. I promise it won't disappoint. Anyway, here you go.**

"Who are you?"

The boy stared at me for awhile before his lips formed a wide smile, showing off his sparkly whit teeth. I didn't think it was a pretty smile lie Jace's or Alec's. It reminded me of a wolf cornering its prey. "Sebastian."

"I'm Clary." I told him, my hands growing sweatier with each passing second.

"I know." He told me coldly and turned around to leave. "We need to hurry or your friends will worry why you're late for kickball."

I felt my heart stop briefly at the realization of what he had just told me. "How did you know that?"

"It's my job to know everything that happens to you, Clarissa." Sebastian brushed the accusation off as if his stalking me were no big deal. I looked at his clothes and realized he was wearing a white uniform like Hodge and the other staff. Maybe he was a doctor

"What does Hodge want with me?" I questioned nervously as I followed behind him at a much slower pace. The white of his clothing clashed terribly with his dark features.

"You just need to answer some questions." He barked, agitation clear in his voice.

"About what?" I pried further, partly curious and partly wanting to annoy him further.

He spun around swiftly mid step, causing me to yelp a little and jump back. Despite my obvious despair, I pulled my shoulders back and tired to stand a little taller in hopes of looking intimidating. "Do you always ask this many questions?"

"I thought it was your job to know everything about me." I remarked smarty, feeling as if Jace's words had flown right out of my mouth.

His eyes bored into mine once again, making me feel naked and helpless, until he finally spoke again. "We're here."

"Hello, Clarissa dear! How have you been?" Hodge greeted me cheerily and motioned for me to sit in a swivel chair across from his. It was plush and comfy and I started spinning myself lightly before getting dizzy. It reminded me of Luke's at the book store.

"I've been better." I replied as I shot daggers at Sebastian. I wish he had left after dropping me off. I didn't like the way his hungry eyes gazed at me.

"Thank you for coming. We just need to record your progress since you've arrived. We find this best calculates how well our methods work." Hodge made a quick professional transformation, which made me laugh to myself. He was so cute, acting like Einstein in his lab coat and thick rimmed glasses.

"Alright. Ask away." I beamed at him, having already forgotten I was in a bad mood.

"Straight to the point, I see. I knew you were my type of girl." Hodge winked playfully at me, to which I tried to return. "How has your stay been?"

It thought of how eventful the past few days had been and realized how fortunate I was to be here. "Wonderful so far."

"Do you feel comfortable in your new environment?"

"Yes." My new bed was really comfy and none of the rooms were overly cold.

"Do you feel safe?"

My eyes betrayed me as they found Sebastian, who was surprisingly quite by the door. "Sometimes."

"How are you sleeping at night?"

"Pretty normal." I still wasn't getting very much sleep, but mommy said I was nocturnal like the owls outside our summer house.

"Do you still wake up screaming?"

Memories of tears, sweat, and darkness swept over me, causing me to fidget nervously. "Not yet."

"Do you still feel like someone is watching you?"

I was staring at my shoes now, but I didn't have to look up to answer. "Yes."

"Do you know who?"

"You." I told him truthfully and I heard Sebastian choke down a snort from somewhere above me.

"We are simply trying to help you, Clarissa." Hodge reassured me, fixing his companion with a glare. "Do you feel like someone else is watching you?"

My eyes were squeezed shut, afraid if I opened them, that the monsters would be in here, too. I didn't want them to hurt me or Hodge Podge. I would be okay if they scared Sebastian. "Yes."

"Are they the monsters from before?"

"Yes, and there are new ones." I could feel the shapeless beasts flowing around me, chilling my skin. They whispered scary words in my ears and cackled darkly.

"Would you consider yourself well acquainted with the other patients?" The distraction was welcomed as I instead thought of everyone I had met in the past few days.

"I have lots of new friends." I finally met Hodge Podge's stare with warm eyes.

"And these friends are?" He encouraged me as he quickly jotted down information.

"Max, Izzy, Simon, Alec, Magnus, Mia, Jordan and Jace." I listed them off on my fingers, smiling more with each passing name. I think I was becoming popular. The kids at school would be so jealous.

"What is your relationship with Jace?" He asked in a serious tone. I noticed Sebastian grinning like an idiot behind him.

"What do you mean?" My eyebrows drew together in confusion and I wished I could lift just one like everybody else.

"Are you two fucking?" Sebastian interjected, despite Hodgey's look of disapproval.

I remembered the kids on the back of the bus would curse all the time and say bad things. I didn't like to sit by them, but one day one of them told me all about the gross word. Why would people want to do that? Boys were disgusting. "Ew, no. Jace is just my friend."

"Then why was he in your room the other night?" He persisted, his wolf snout pulling back into a vicious grin.

"Sebastian." Hodge Podge interrupted, clearly as upset by his behavior as I was.

"It's okay, Hodge Podge. I wasn't feeling very well and he was making sure I was alright." I considered telling them the truth, that Mia had attacked me, but thought better of it. I didn't trust them or want Mia to get in trouble. "Anymore questions?"

"Do you feel threatened by any of the staff or your fellow peers?" Hodge Podge returned to his role of question master and Sebastian was silent once again.

"No." I refused to give Sebastian the satisfaction of knowing the truth.

"None?" Hodge pressed further, his pen still for once.

"Should I?" I questioned back, wondering if he would actually answer me.

"Why were you admitted?" He changed the topic. The unease in my stomach grew rapidly.

"The doctors told Mommy I'm schizophrenic like Grandma and they could make me all better." I informed him, stumbling over the big words, even thought he knew the answer. He wanted to know if I would lie.

"What did you do that made the doctors think you were schizophrenic?"

Memories from that night jerked across my vision, filling me with sadness and terror. "I don't want to talk about it yet."

"Alright, that is fine." He dropped it. "Do you regret your actions?"

"Every day." I whispered, tears swelling in my eyes.

"Do you wish to one day make a full recovery from your illness?"

"Yes." I bit back the argument that I wasn't sick, because Mommy told me it would make me stay longer.

"Do you want to go home?"

"More than anything." I choked out, a single tear rolling down my cheek.

"Do you think you are crazy?"

"I'm not crazy." My voice was so low that I wondered if I had spoken at all, but Sebastian's face reassured me I had.

"That's all for now Clarissa. Thank you for cooperating." Hodge shook my hand as we all stood up.

"Oh, and remember, we're always watching." Sebastian told me. I recoiled from his touch as he opened the door and tried to usher me out.

"Sebastian will lead you back to your room." Hodge smiled, but I slid out of the room and walked down the hallway as fast as possible.

"Thanks, but I think I've got it." I just wanted to escape.

As I sped towards my room, I felt tears streaming down my face and my body was overtaken by violent shaking.

I felt myself smash into something hard, stopping me in my tracks like a hundred foot brick wall. When I looked up through blurred vision, I immediately recognized the golden boy standing before me.

"Red, are you okay?" He asked softly, his words full of concern as he gently touched my shoulders and looked me over.

"Jace." I smiled at him breathlessly, He was the only person I wanted to see right now.

I jumped onto him, wrapping my arms around his long neck and burying my head in his chest as my legs wound around his torso. He froze momentarily before enveloping me in a tight hug and petting my hair soothingly. It reminded me of my mother and I felt myself relaxing further against him. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head wordlessly and balled his shirt between my fingers. I felt him shifting beneath me as he began walking down the hall, presumably to my room, but I honestly could care less where we arrived as long as we were far away from him. "What happened?"

His hands were warm and comforting on my back as he rubbed slow circular patterns with one hand and held me firmly in place with the other. He didn't push me to answer right away and I stalled by tracing the scars on his neck. I wondered how he had gotten them, but now wasn't a good time to ask.

I finally felt my heart beats returning to normal and I wiped my damp face on my sleeve. "He scares me."

"Who?" I knew Jace was trying to let me go at my own pace, but I was also well aware of the impatience laced in his inquires.

"Sebastian." I whispered, afraid of even saying his name out loud. He said he was everywhere.

Jace stopped in his tracks and forcefully grabbed my chin to gaze into my eyes. My heart was once again racing at the heated turn of events, but for some reason I knew Jace wouldn't take out his anger on me. "What did that rat bastard do to you?"

"He kept staring at me like he wanted to eat me and he kept saying mean things." I didn't blink as I confessed his actions to Jace, my voice dull and monotone.

"Like what?" Jace urged me to be more specific, but I felt my tear stained cheeks grow damp again.

"I don't remember." My words caught in my throat and I hid my face in his neck, embarrassed by my weakness. "He scares me."

"Look at me, Red." This time he didn't force me to glance up, but rather let me slowly do it myself. When I did meet his stare, my breath whooshed out in surprise. His eyes were shining with sincerity and I almost wondered if he was going to cry, too, but of course he wouldn't. He was Jace. It must have been the lighting. "I would never let anyone hurt you, especially that pathetic bastard, okay?"

I nodded in understanding. "Ever?"

"Ever." He reassured before squeezing me one last time and letting me carefully slide to the ground.

"Thanks, Jace." He didn't say anything as I cautiously intertwined his hand with mine, glad to have discovered such a genuine friend so soon.

"Come on, the others are waiting on us." Jace didn't pull away as I initially thought he would and began dragging us down the hall again.

Before he could turn the corner, I planted my feet in the ground and he came to a sudden stop, jerking my arm lightly. His eyebrows danced around questioning and if I were in a better mood, I probably would have laughed at the small yellow caterpillars wiggling around. "Do I have to go outside?"

"No, I suppose not." Jace smiled at me and took a step closer, tucking my messy bangs behind my ear. "Is there something else you had in mind?"

"I want to go to the art room." He sounded surprised by my answer, but he just blinked and nodded his head.

"Okay. It's just down the hall." Jace spun on his heels and we passed a few more doors until I spotted the only one I could distinguish. Paint had dried around the doorknob and I had a growing hunch that it had been from me the other day.

I dropped his hand giddily and skipped into the room, already feeling more at home. When I stopped spinning around, I turned to see Jace awkwardly standing in the doorway, half out as if he were going to leave. "Where are you going?"

"To play kickball." He spoke in monotone, not giving away any emotions and completely driving me crazy. I hated when he acted like this. His eyes were distant and his face was smoothed of any indications to his actual mood.

"Oh." I murmured, feeling an overwhelming sadness wash over me. I turned around, already grabbing a sketchpad and charcoals to hide my disappointment. The last thing I needed was for Jace to make fun of me.

It was quiet for a long time and if I wasn't completely tuned into his presence, I would have thought he already left. Then as I was organizing the utensils according to darkness, I felt his breath wash over me as his lips almost grazed my ear. "Did you want me to stay?"

I turned around, grinning brilliantly up at him and nodding. "But you can hang out with your friends if you want."

"I'd much rather be here." Jace revealed with a flirtatious wink before sitting at the table and I felt my stomach twist into a knot and I became terrified it would stay like that forever.

I sat directly across from him, letting our legs tangle together slightly as I finished organizing the pencils. It was a ritual I had before beginning my next project. We were silent for once as he watched my hands busily working away. Finally his deep, smooth voice interrupted my thoughts. "Your work is beautiful."

"You've never even seen it before." I told him with a roll of my eyes, even though the idea of Jace liking something I did made me want to smile big.

"That's not true." He insisted and when I eyeballed him in confusion, he finally elaborated. "The three pieces above your bed."

I realized he wasn't lying and I stopped sorting long enough to smile genuinely up at him from under my lashes. "Thank you."

"Have you done anything else?" He rocked back in his seat slowly to cross his boots on the edge of the table and I glared at the filthy mud that was caked on their soles. Why were his shoes wet?

"Yes, but you'll make fun of me if I show you." I admitted and avoided eye contact as I turned the sketchbook to a fresh page.

"I promise I won't. Please?" Jace begged convincingly as he grabbed my left hand and started playing with it distractingly.

"Alright." I sighed loudly to show him my reluctancy and I pulled out my painting, praying he didn't laugh or think I was a stalker. Last time that happened, the neighbors across the street had moved and Mommy was very upset.

I held it up with fake bravado and hid my face behind it, afraid to see his reaction. "Are those mine?"

I realized his voice wasn't laced with anger or mockery and I felt a wide smile pull at my lips before lowering the canvas a bit to reveal myself. "I painted it the morning after I got here. I saw them every time I blinked and decided to take advantage of the situation."

"Would you draw me? The real me, not just my eyes." Jace raised one perfectly arched eyebrow and I completely melted, unable to say no.

"If you want." Rather than saying anything else, Jace nonchalantly stood up and started peeling off his clothes layer by layer. My eyes nearly bulged out of my face and I felt my jaw drop before my cheeks grew scorching hot. He continued to strip until I finally exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

"Taking off my clothes." Jace stated as if it were the most obvious, casual thing in the entire world. He was already down to his boxers and his fingers remained hooked around the band as he finally smirked at me.

"What? Why on earth would you do that?" I shouted, covering my bright cheeks with my hands and peeking through my fingers, unable to help myself. His body was muscular and tan, his slim frame oddly making me want to lick him. I had no clue where that thought came from and I wanted to gag and hide in a hole, while simultaneously never letting him out of my sight.

"A man can't want a picture of his naked chiseled self?" Jace defended his actions, his thumbs slowly sliding the dark material even lower, drawing more attention to his naval.

Now I was picturing him naked and I had no doubt that my face was as red as my hair, if not more. What would my mother think if she knew I was having these kinds of thoughts? "You disgust me."

"I try." Jace winked at me mischievously, causing my heart to pound even faster.

Neither of us moved as we looked each other over, wondering who would cave first. "I'm not drawing you like that."

"Fine." Jace sighed dramatically and began pulling his jeans back on before bending to pick up his shirt.

"You can leave the shirt off." I allowed, partially trying to compromise, but also not wanting him to fully cover up. Maybe Jace wouldn't be so hard to stand if he always looked like this.

"Whatever Milady wants." He let the material fall to the ground and ran a hand through his already disheveled golden locks.

""I'm not a princess." I stuck my tongue out at him childishly.

"Actually, a lady is a woman of royal blood who isn't the queen or princess." Jace informed me smartly as he picked a final position. His arms were crossed loosely behind his head, causing his muscles to contract and appear more prominent.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and plopped down in my seat, eyeballing his frame as I began to sketch a loose outline of what I wanted to happen.

"But you're my princess." He teased me with another wink and I glared at him. The words made me feel all warm inside, but I knew he was only joking.

"If you don't stop moving, I'm not going to be able to capture your essence correctly." I claimed, hoping he would shut up for once.

"Make sure I look my absolute best. Like a Greek God or something." Jace suggested with yet another cocky smirk.

"With a side of arrogance and idiocracy?" I added, giving him a mockingly innocent smile as I began to etch in darker, thicker lines.

"Ouch, Red. You really know how to wound a man." He removed an arm to hold his heart as if I actually injured him, but I glared daggers at him threateningly and he immediately presumed his previous position.

"And you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet." I quipped as I worked to capture the shape of his head accurately.

"Is that sarcasm I hear?" Jace's mouth parted sardonically and I didn't even have to visually threaten him for it to quickly shut and his sharp features returned to a smoldering expression.

"Never." I smiled coyly and cautiously edited his chin before trying again.

I spent the next few minutes trying to perfect the lightening on his abs and chest. Jace seemed to notice I took longest to create a replica of his torso and I knew sooner or later he would make a smart remark. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Always." I agreed passively in hopes of finishing the sketch before giving into any of my many urges at the moment.

"I must say, milady, I think I'm rubbing off on you." He said his words carefully, purposely choosing each one in an attempt to get a reaction out of me.

"I told you not to call me that anymore." I growled and placed my hands on my hips defiantly. "And what do you mean?"

"You're becoming more outspoken and courageous." Jace elaborated. "I kind of like it."

"Well I'm glad you do."

After a few more minutes all I had to do were add his intricate tribal tattoos and the shading. "Are you almost finished yet?

"Mommy always said you can't rush perfection." I told him simply as I hid a minor mistake.

"I suppose you're right as usual. I mean, I am a work of perfection." Jace agreed and I mentally punched him.

"You hurt my head." I complained, despite myself. Finally I sighed contently and dropped the charcoals. "Done."

Jace happily dropped his probably aching arms and strode over to me, turning the paper carefully towards his self. I waited for his consensus as I replaced everything I had used and turned back to his skeptical face. "And here I thought I couldn't get any handsomer."

"You can't." I mumbled without even thinking and the look he gave me meant that he definitely heard it.

We locked eyes for a moment before he finally cleared his throat and passed me the sketchpad. "We should go eat."

"Okay." I complied quickly and put it back in its cubby.

"Red?" When I turned around Jace was waiting patiently by the door.

"Yeah?" I asked cheerily, suddenly excited to see the rest of my friends and apologize for ditching them. Maybe we could play kickball again tomorrow.

"You really are amazing."

"C'mon." I pulled him halfheartedly by the hand as he shut the door and I awkwardly let go as I realized I was holding it. He didn't seem to even notice and I followed him silently towards the rest of the gang.

**There ya go. What do you guys think? Pretty please review and tell me, because I don't know if this story is going the way everyone wants it to and I would love critiquing or suggestions. Also, remember that REVIEWING=SNEAKPEAK. However, if your review doesn't seem sincere or only says update, you aren't getting one, because, man, are those annoying. I know, I'm too picky and ungrateful, but it happens. I'll try to update sooner this time. :)**


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